Automatic roll control for ships or the like



March 25, 1952 S. R. RAMSAY ETAL AUTOMATIC ROLL CONTROL FOR SHIPS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 27, 1945 2 SHEETSSHEET l r m m m w.

SAMUEL kOBERT RAMSAK ADELAIDE HENRIETM MMSAK BY ATTOP/VEK March 25, 1952 s. R. RAMSAY ETAL AUTOMATIC ROLL CONTROL FOR SHIPS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 27, 1-945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 A5 55 Y MMM E TAOA N m m Q W m zmw T MM A M L Mm M B A Patented Mar. 25, 1952 AUTOMATIC ROLL CONTROL FOR I SHIPS OR THE LIKE Samuel B. Ramsay and Adelaide H. Ramsay, Santa. Cruz, Calif.

Application August 27, 1945, Serial No. 612,742

The present invention relates to improvements in an automatic roll control for ships or the like, and its principal object is to provide means whereby each rolling motion of a ship, when in motion, automatically sets up a counterforce opposing the rolling motion and tending tobring the ship back to a level position.

It is further proposed to utilize for this purpose a set of hydrofoils or wings disposed on opposite sides 01 the ship and operating means for the latter whereby, on a rolling motion of the ship, the hydrofoil on the lower side is made to exert a lifting effect, while the hydrofoil on the other side is made to exert a depressing effect.

It is further proposed to provide a differential gear mechanism between the two hydrofoils, whereby the latter are made to operate in oposite directions in response to a rolling motion of the ship.

A still'further object of our invention is to use gyroscopic means for controlling the operation of the hydrofoils.

And finally, we propose to provide a novel form of gyroscope in which the latter is freely suspended frm a fixed support with freedom of universal swinging motion, for cooperation with fixed parts of the ship in effecting the desired control.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features of the same will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of ship having our hydrofoils attached thereto;

Figure 2, a bottom plan view of the ship;

Figure 3, a rear view of a differential gear mechanism used for operating the hydrofoils;

Figure 4, a sectional plan view of the differential gear mechanism as seen from line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5, a section taken along line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6, a plan view of our gyroscope;

Figure 7, a section taken along line l'-l of Figure 6; and

Figure 8, a section taken along line 8--8 of Figure 6.

While we have shown only the preferred form of our invention, it should be understood that various change or modification may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the ship I is equipped with the conventional rudder 2, and is also equipped with one or more pairs of hydrofoils 3 disposed on opposite sides of the ship" 2 Claims. (Cl. 745.8)

and below the waterline, only one pair being shown for the purpose of illustration. The hydrofoil are mounted sufiiciently low on the ship to come entirely within the freeboarcl of the latter, that is, within the space below the outline of the upper part of the ship.

The hydrofoils are mounted on two alined shafts 4 having suitable bearings, not shown, in the hull of the ship, and also near their inner ends, asshown at 5. The shafts terminate, at their inner ends, in spaced and confronting bevel gears 6 meshing with a pinion 1 carried on a shaft 8, which latter extends centrally between the bevel gears and is supported in bearings 9.

The shaft 8 has a large worm gear Ill mounted thereon, outside of the bevel gears, and this worm gear meshes with a worm I l on a shaft l2 mounted in bearings it. The shaft I2 is coupled, by means of a coupling M to the shaft iii of the main motor l6, which is here shown as an electric motor, but which may be of any suitable type.

It will be noted that when the motor is running, it will turn the hydrofoils, through the difi'erential gear mechanism described, in opposite directions, one of the hydrofoils being inclined and the other one declined, depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor shaft.

The motor 16 is controlled by the gyroscope This gyroscope comprises a yoke 20 suspended from a bracket 2| by a knuckle joint 22 with freedom of universal swinging movement. The yoke terminates in two depending short and straight 7 legs 23, and a ring 24 is pivotally suspended in the straight arms similar in dimensions to the legs of the first yoke is suspended from the ring in a plane at a right angle to the yoke 20 and carries a motor 26 which has a spinning wheel 21 mounted on the shaft thereof, the spinning wheel being disposed within the confines of the ring 24, and a bar 29 being stretched across the second yoke immediately underneath the spinning wheel for strengthening the motor mounting.

Due' to gyroscopic action the axis of rotation of the spinning wheel will retain its vertical position regardless of the rolling motion of the ship. This fact may be utilized in any suitable and well-known manner for controlling the main motor [5 in response to rolling motion of the ship, as by means of a pair of switches 28 mounted on opposite sides of the motor 26 and fixed with respect to the ship, so as to close circuits when one in an upward direction to produce a lifting effect, and the left one in a downward direction to produce a depressing effect.

On a roll of the ship in the opposite direction, the hydrofoils will be turned in an opposite sense to produce a counter-effect to this rolling motion.

We claim:

1. In a gyroscopic roll control for a ship or the like, a yoke comprising a suspension rod, a pair of horizontal cross-rods extending in opposite directions from the lower end of the rod and a pair of legs projecting downwardly from the ends of the cross-rods, a knuckle joint for suspending the rod at its upper end with freedom of universal swinging motion, a ring pivotally supported in the legs of the yoke, a second inverted yoke comprising a vertically disposed motor, a pair or cross-arms projecting horizontally from the central portion thereof and a pair of arms projecting upwardly from the ends of the cross-arms, the arms being substantially co-extensive in lentgh with the legs of the yoke, means for suspending the arms from the ring on an axis at a right angle to the ring pivots, the upper portion of the motor extending to within close proximity of the plane of the ring and the motor shaft having a spinning wheel within the plane of the ring, and the spinning wheel being arranged due to the equal lengths of the legs and arms of the two yokes, substantially midway between the cross-rods and cross-arms of the two yokes.

2. In a gyroscopic roll control for a ship or the like, a yoke comprising a suspension rod, a pair of horizontal cross-rods extending in opposite directions from the lower end ofthe rod and a pair of legs projecting downwardly from the ends of the cross-rods, a knuckle joint for suspending the rod at its upper end with freedom of universal swinging motion, a ring pivotally supported in the legs of the yoke, a second inverted yoke comprising a vertically disposed motor, a pair of cross-arms projecting horizontally from the central portion thereof and a pair of arms projecting upwardly from the ends of the cross-arms, the arms being substantially co-extensive in length with the legs of the yoke, means for suspending the arms from the ring on an axis at a right angle to the ring pivots, the upper portion of the motor extending to within close proximity of the plane of the ring and the motor shaft having a spinning wheel within the plane of the ring, and the spinning wheel being arranged due to the equal lengths of the legs and arms of the two yokes, substantially midway between the cross-rods and cross-arms of the two yokes, and the second yoke having a bar stretched thereacross immediately underneath the wheel for strengthening the motor mounting.

SAMUEL R. RAMSAY. ADELAIDE H. RAMSAY.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,524,788 Gardner Feb. 3, 1925 1,586,070 Cooke May 25, 1926 1,586,071 Cooke May 25, 1926 1,772,348 Hammond Aug. 5, 1930 1,889,079 Chater Feb. 28, 1933 2,270,875 Hanson et al. Jan. 27, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,779 Great Britain Aug. 24, 1910 767,126 France Apr. 23, 1934 

